English Holly grows all over the BC coastal region and I personally have seen this tree in areas that have hardly been tread by man and yet, there they are. The problem is that many birds love the berries from these trees and after eating, the seeds are deposited in their droppings to all areas of the coast.
Holly is a small broadleaf evergreen tree that can grow up to 20 meters high. Red berries are found on the female trees.
It is native to the British Isles and Southern and Central Europe. Grown as an ornamental in North America, it has escaped into forested areas where it grows in shade or sun in well-drained soil.
It can form dense thickets that dominate the tall shrub layer in the forest and suppress the germination and growth of native tree and shrub species on the forest floor.
It is also a water-loving plant and will draw in as much as it can with its thick and large root system, thus preventing local native plants from obtaining enough water or the nutrients they need that are contained within it.
Small plants can be pulled or dug up when the soil is moist. Mature trees have deep and extensive roots, so digging is labour-intensive and results in considerable soil disturbance if all the roots are removed.
Cutting holly at the base usually results in a copious regrowth from the stump. Applying herbicide to the cut stump is about the only way to stop the re-growth.